Ventilator for ice tanks



April 28,1931. A* H. G-AEBLER VENTILATOR FOR ICE TANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26. 1929 April 28, 1931- A. H. GAEBLER 1,802,465

VENTILATOR FOR ICETANKS Filed April 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 28, i931 mural) STA-'rss PATENT OFFICE ALEXANDER E. GAEBLER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 INDUSTRIAL PATENTS CORPORATION, 0F GHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'VENTILATOR FOR ICE TANKS Application led April 28,

This invention relates to improvements .in refrigerator cars and particularly to refrigerator cars of the type employing ice or brine tanks.

This invention has particular reference to an improved Ventilating means for brine tanks or, in other words, means by which the circulation in a refrigerator car is promoted and by which the circulated air may enter the interior of the brine tank and come in direct contact with the ice and brine and to pass therefrom in a cooled condition into the main portion of the car.

The ordinary type of refrigerator car is provided with a small compartment at each endA in which tanks or. similar means are mounted for containing ice or brine. These tanks are usually charged from a hopper or openin provided in the roof of the car located a ove the tanks and closed by a suitable hatch.

In practice, there have been two general types, namely those in which regular tanks are provided, that is, tanks, the walls of which are entirely closed and secondly, those in which the ice is contained in a basket, that is, a large container made of mesh work of such construction that the air can readily circulate through the retaining walls and come in direct contact withthe ice.

The main objection to the first type is,I that on account ofthe solid walls of the tank, the air cannot be brought intovdirect contact with the ice and brine with the result that the cooling effect is not as great as in cases Where the baskets are used. The main objection to the basket type is that there are no means for catching and retaining any ap-.

reciable quantities of .brine which accumu etes as the ice melts and it is found to be eX- tremely undesirable to permit the brine to fall upon the rails and switches `of the tracks due to its strong corrosive effect.

In some instances, it has been proposed to provide openings in tanks of the type which will hold a considerable quantity of brine Without discharging the same along the rails such as will permit'the passage of air into the tanks and into direct contact with the icef or brine, but as far as the applicant 1929. Serial N0. 358,254.

Accordingly, it is an object ofthe presentA invention to provide tanks having ventilating openings therein which tanks, will serve to retain the brine which accumulates by the melting of the ice and yet will permit and promote the circulation of air into and out of the tank in direct contact with the ice and the brine so as to give the maximum cooling effect.

The present invention is illustrated in one particular embodiment hereinafter described in detail, which is given merely by way of illustration and accordingly, the invention is not to be limited in' any particular thereby. The scope of the invention will-be determinable from an understanding of the illustrated embodiment and an appreciation o f the advantages which the invention produces therein.

Various other objects, not specifically enumerated will appear to one skilled in the art as the following description proceeds.

The following description will be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure lis a transverse cross sectional view taken through the end of a refrigerator car and disclosing a battery of tanks each constructed in accordance with the present invention.

' Figure 2 is a cross sectional elevational view of an end of a car constructed in accordance with Figure 1.-

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view disclosing a portion of a tank and oneof the Ventilating openings therefor and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional enlarged view disclosing the construction of the Ventilating opening.

' By referring to the drawings it will be noted that the present invention is illustrated as embodied in a refrigerator car compris: ing a bottoni i0, and side walls l1 of the usual construction, and provided with the necessary insulation. These portions of the car will not be described in detail as the specific disclosure constitutes nopart of the present invention as the present type of tanks are adapted for use on any and all types of cars constructed for refrigerating purposes.

Located in the end of the car, mounted on a suitable support 12, is a battery of tanks 13, in the present illustration, four, two on each side of the centerline. 'The two tanks which are located on the same side of the center line of the car are connected together by means of pipes 14 and have a common outlet pipe 15 which is provided with a suitable valve, not shown, by which the tanks may be drained.

The tanks are also provided with suitable manholes 16, having covers which may be removed for the purpose of cleaning the tanks. The two tanks connected together are charged from a single opening or hopper 17, which may be closed by a suitable hatch, not shown. The tanks are mounted and supported by suitable means in such manner that a space 18=is provided between the tanks and also between the tanks and the surrounding walls 11 and 19 of the car, and bulkhead 20.

The bulkhead 20, is positioned immediately in front of the tanks as shown in Figure 2, which may be of any suitable material, lout is preferably formed of wood sheathing. This bulkhead ext-ends transversely of the car and may be hingedly mounted, although when the car is in use, is rigidly held. l't is to be understood that it need not necessarily .be hinged, but that when so mounted, it maybe swung away from the tanks so as 'to give access thereto.

The bottom edge of the bulkhead is spaced as at 21 from the door of the car and as at 22 from the roof of the car so as to permit the passage of air over and under in its circulation through the car and in contact with and in to the brin-e tanks. This bulkhead not only acts to protect the brine tanks from the cargo of the car but it also serves to promote the circulation by means of the upper and lower passages.

For the purpose of permitting andy promoting the circulation of air through-the tank in direct contact with the ice, openings 23 are provided, of any suitable shape, in this instance, rectangular, covered by a screeen or wire mesh 24. The screen or mesh is preferably of galvanized iron to resist corrosion and is formed of a mesh of any suitable size and it may be secured in place over the opening in any desired manner.

In the present illustration, however, as shown in Figure 4, the iron mesh 24 is welded or otherwise secured to a frame piece, 25, having the raised lip 26, to which the screen is secured. The frame piece is of a size to f properly lit the opening and is secured to the edges thereof by means of rivets or bolts 27.

The inner edge 32 of the tank surrounding the opening is inwardly bevelled so as to serve with the inner bevelled surface 33 of the frame, as a surface for collecting and defleeting all moisture which collects on the mesh, into the tank. It will be perfectly obvious from this construction that moisture which is condensed on the screen will run down under the action of gravity until it is caught and collected by the surfaces 32 and 33, which surfaces deflect the moisture inwardly of the tank and thereby prevent undesirable moisture on the outside surface of the tank.

A galvanized hood 28 is provided and mounted in a manner to cover the lower portion of the screened opening with its upper edge 29 extending transversely of the opening at substantially its mid-joint. It is also important to notice thatthe upper edge 29 of the hood, is at substantially the same level as the upper end of the bulkhead 20. The hood has a downwardly and outwardly projecting front sheet 30 and side walls 31 such as for instance, shown in Figure 4 and the length of the front sheet 3() is such that the hood will extend a short distance below the bottom of the opening 23. It will be obvious that this construction provides an opening, namely, that part of the opening 23, located above the upper edge 29 of the hood, through which Athe air may enter the tank'and come into contact with the ice and an opening comprising that portion of the opening 23 which is covered by the hood which serves as an outlet opening for the cooled air.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the invention contemplates providing screened inlet and outletopenings of this character on diametrically opposite sides of each tank, that is, on the side facing the interior of the car and on the opposite side adjacent the end wallof the car.

It has been found in practice, that a very superior Ventilating action is provided in a construction of this kind in that the air which passes through the opening provided between the top of the bulkhead and the roof of the car on its continued travel, passes directly into the upper portion of the opening 23 and that aftercoming into direct Contact with the ice and is cooled thereby, is caused to pass through the lower portion of the ,opening 23 and detlect downwardly by means of the hood and through the spaces 18 provided around the tanks and out through the bottom opening 21 below the bulkhead. It will also appear that the tanks 13 are capable of retaining large quantities of brine and are not subject to the objections above enumerated namely, that of depositing or spilling brine solution onto the rails of the track.

The improved ventilating and cooling action above described, is caused by several conditions and in operation, the air is caused to travel in the manner indicated by the arrows in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawing. Inasmuch as the region lsurrounding the tanks at the end of the car is cooler than the main portion of the car, the warm air which rises in the main portion of the car is naturally drawn to the end adjacent the location of the tanks. rThe result is that a relatively strong draft is created toward the end of the car passing over the upper edge of the bulkhead through the restricted space 22. The air, upon coming in close proximity to the tank, is cooled to some degree and consequently, a portion of it is deflected downwardly through the space between the bulkhead and the tanks, as indicated by the arrows. The remaining portion of the air however,.passes directly into the tank through the screen, as shown by the arrows in Figure 4. The cooled air inside of the tank, and in direct contact with the ice and brine, is forced out of the tank at the lower level of the opening, namely, that portion covered by the hood 30, by virtue of the displacing eifect of the air entering the inlet opening and also by virtue of the drawing effect produced by the air passing downwardly between the bulkhead and the tanks. It will be noted that the hood occupying the space between the tanks and the bulkhead produces a restricted area and consequently the passage of air therethrough produces a decided suction action, effective to withdraw the cold air from the tank as indicated. It will therefore appear that the construction here provided not only permits the air to enter the interior of the tank in direct contact with the ice and brine, but actually assists and promotes the circulation in the manner described.

When large qantities of brine have accumulated, the tanks may be emptied through the outlet pipes 15, by suitablecontrol valves at the locations or stations provided along the way for this purpose and at any desired time, the tanks may be re-charged 'from above in the -usual manner.

I claim:

1. An ice tank for refrigerator cars having an air inlet opening at the top portion thereof and an air outlet opening at the top portion thereof, said outlet opening having an air deiecting hood thereover.

2. An ice tank for refrigerator cars in combination with a bulkhead, said ice tank having an air opening, said openin extending above and below the plane of t e upper edge of said bulkhead, the lower portion of saidopcninggbeing `covered by a hood, the

upper edge of which lies in substantially the same plane as the upper edge of said bulkhead.

3. An ice tank for refri erator cars having a screened opening in t e upperportion thereof, the lower portion of sald opening being covered by a hood constructed to deflect air downwardly.

4. An ice tank for refrigerator cars in combination with a bulkhead having air passagel spaces above and below its upper and lower edges respectively, an opening in the upper portion of said ice tank; and a hood covering the lower portion of said opening, said hood being constructed to deflect air downwardly and having its upper edge in substantially the same plane as the upper edge of said bulkhead.

5. An ice tank for refrigerator cars, having a screened opening, a hood covering the lower portion of said opening and having a deflecting surface extendingi outwardly and downwardly from said tan 6. A ice tank for refrigerator cars, having a screened opening, a hood covering the lower portion of said opening and havin a deiecting surface extending outward y and downwardly from said tank and w1th its lower edge extending slightly below the lower edge of said opening.

7. An ice tank for refrigerator cars having openings at diametrically opposite sides, the lower portion of each opening being covered by a hood.

8. A refrigerator car having in combination, a battery of ice tanks, an opening in the top of said car for charging said tanks, each of said tanks having a screened opening and a hood covering the lower portion` of said opening.

9. A refrigerator car having in combination, a battery of ice tanks, an opening in the top of said car for charging said tanks, each of said tanks having diametrically arranged openings and each of said openings having a hood covering the lower portion thereof'.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day of April, 1929.

. ALEXANDER H. GAEBLER. 

